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3D printers are Cool!

crabandy

Well Known Member
A friend at work is always making new items with his 3D printer. I was replacing my LED panel light dimmer with one from SteinAir and the existing hole was quite a bit larger than the new dimmer. A couple texts back and forth and my buddy had programmed the spacer for me complete with anti-rotation holes.
 

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Almost magic…

3D printers are the closest thing to real magic we’ll find today. If you can think it, you can draw it. If you can draw it, you can print it.
 
Agree - was trying to work out how to:
Install rod end bearings?
Align the ailerons and flaps for rigging?
Hold the flaps and ailerons for riveting?

It’s great!
 

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A friend at work is always making new items with his 3D printer. I was replacing my LED panel light dimmer with one from SteinAir and the existing hole was quite a bit larger than the new dimmer. A couple texts back and forth and my buddy had programmed the spacer for me complete with anti-rotation holes.
Is the rotary dial mounted entirely to the 3D-printed part, or does it sandwich to the aluminum panel at all?

3D printers are great, but caution must be taken when mounting something that's going to be loaded during use (even by a hand resting on it). The most common material for 3D printing is PLA, which has a softening temperature around 55-60C. That is easily achievable under a bubble canopy parked in the hot sun in summertime. The heatsink on the back of the dimmer suggests there's a fair bit of heat there as well, which may also contribute to softening.

There are materials better suited for this (ABS, PETG) but they are a little harder to print. Achievable with a home printer, it just takes work.
 
Is the rotary dial mounted entirely to the 3D-printed part, or does it sandwich to the aluminum panel at all?

3D printers are great, but caution must be taken when mounting something that's going to be loaded during use (even by a hand resting on it). The most common material for 3D printing is PLA, which has a softening temperature around 55-60C. That is easily achievable under a bubble canopy parked in the hot sun in summertime. The heatsink on the back of the dimmer suggests there's a fair bit of heat there as well, which may also contribute to softening.

There are materials better suited for this (ABS, PETG) but they are a little harder to print. Achievable with a home printer, it just takes work.

It sandwiches between the aluminum panel. My lights should pull less than a third the dimmers capacity so hoping it doesn’t get hot enough to deform it, we’ll see.
 
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